15 | SFS (Split File Size)

[PeterSt]

Originally, the SFS merely was a parameter to limit the memory usage, but over time it became a key SQ infleuncing tool.

It is generally accepted that the higher setting (towards 500 which is the maximum) produces the best sound. Still situations may exist or can emerge where a lower setting produces the better sound. No real rule exists for this.

The SFS tells how much of a track must be read into memory per chunk and the memolry available for it is 2GB. This 2GB equals the 500 setting.
It is difficult to tell in advance how much track time will be involved, because this depends on quite many other settings. But let's say that a 5 minute track of 16/44100 can easily be in memory in full, while an upconverted track to 32/705600 maybe fits into memory for 30 seconds (per chunk).

The above is not important to you. Which setting produces the best sound is.

At least 8GB of internal memory assumed, and with the Memory Type Straight Contiguous active :

Up to version 0.9z-6-1c it can be stated that 430 is the limit where sound can be very good; beyond that and things "collapse".
Above this version the upper limit for the Kernel Streaming Audio Engine (Engine #4) can decrease to 370 (and even that may be instable), depending on further buffer size related settings chosen. Instable means : suddenly a track can not start playing and errors are produced. Or an error pops up when playback is (audibly) started, but ticks keep on emerging.
For Kernel Streaming the buffer size comprises of the product of Device Buffer Size, Q1 and Q1Factor;
When the Device BufferSize is 4096, Q1=30 and Q1Factor=1, the 430 limit will be normally reachable.
The feasable maximum will be 470 and the theoretical maximum of 500 can be reached in rare occasions only.


Beyond 0.9-z6-1c the SFS is believed to have a different influence on SQ, but again depending on further settings. Although it is too early to make definite conclusions, it may well be that the best SQ can be achieved with a very low SFS (like 2 would be very low).

The lowest value is 0.2 but that may not play or may not play always (just nothing happens).

The higher the SFS the less convenient the control of the sound engine becomes. This counts for the time playback starts after pressing Play, and for when a changed volume (by means of XXHighEnd's volume setting) comes through. This becomes more significant when the PC is less powerful.